by Nicole Sobon
When the Pod door unlatched, I was stunned to find that the time passed by again. The blackouts I’d been experiencing must have been lasting much longer than I remembered them being.
Colton came over, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Is she still there?”
“She’s gone.” I looked at him. “For now, at least.”
20 FIX YOU
With Thirteen’s voice gone from my mind for now, I decided to focus more on Colton. We’d spent so much time making sure that I was okay, thanks to all of my zone outs, but I wasn’t sure how he was coping.
“You know you don’t have to stare at me every second of the day, right?” I joked, poking Colton who was now sitting beside me on the couch.
“Well, your brother did say to keep an eye on you.”
“Yeah, yeah. What do you want to do today?” I knew what he’d say. But we can’t leave the house! Which might have been true, but I didn’t care at the moment. If Thirteen’s presence was enough to activate her tracker earlier, McVeigh would have already sent his men here. It had been hours and no one had tried to kill us. Not yet at least.
“I should be saying nothing, since we’re supposed to stay inside, but I guess a walk around the trails can’t hurt.” Colton ran in search of his sneakers, smiling with excitement.
I had yet to explore the trails around here, though they surrounded the house, so I was pleased with his suggestion. Sure, board games were fun, but it was nice to get out. Even if it meant Hayden would yell at me later.
“Ready?” Colton ran back into the living room. I jumped up from the couch and headed for the front door. “Let me go before you, just in case,” I suggested. We needed to be careful, and I’d rather it be myself that gets hurt if anyone was waiting for us outside.
He shook his head as to say no, but he eventually moved behind me.
I turned my head to the left, and no one was there. I turned to the right, only to find that it was also clear. “I think we’re good.”
He smiled before running out in front of me. I would’ve chased him, but I knew running in this body was far more complex than I was used to. Plus, the chances of me keeping up were rather slim.
And then, out of nowhere, there was an attack.
I was staring at Colton, who was climbing the rocks by the water, when someone came up from behind me and threw me to the ground. I could feel myself zoning out. Who was this person and what did they want?
The attacker turned my body onto its side, trying to find my hard drive slot. One of McVeigh’s men. I turned onto my back, throwing the attacker two feet away from me. I made my way back onto my feet and walked over to where my attacker lay unconscious. I leaned down to take off the mask my attacker wore, only to find that it was Colton’s father.
McVeigh was using his Programs to do his dirty work now? I should’ve assumed as much.
That was why he was able to throw me to the ground. His body was as strong as mine. He was like me. Before he could get back up, I turned him onto his side and yanked the hard drive out of his back. I knew I needed to hide him before Colton came to check on me, but where was I supposed to leave him?
Before I could figure out what to do with his body, a lady in a White Coat came running up the hill – Tina. But how did she find me?
“Thirteen,” she yelled, tears running down her face.
“Thirteen is gone. Please address me by my real name.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry, Emile. I suppose I’m used to calling you Thirteen.” Tina smiled.
I looked at her and pointed towards Colton’s father. “Why is he here?”
“McVeigh’s men dropped him off here earlier this morning with specific instructions to remove your hard drive. I followed them here, hoping to stop him, but I obviously wasn’t fast enough.” She looked down at the man and shook her head. “His name was Howard. He was an old friend of mine. I used to watch his son, Colton, all of the time. They sent him instead of their usual men because they figured they could bring Colton in if he caught a glimpse of his father.”
She reached down to pull the man up. “I’ll take him back with me, just please don’t let Colton know about all of this.”
I nodded, appreciating her concern. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Take care, Emile. I wish you a happy life.” I watched as Tina struggled to drag Howard’s limp body behind her. I knew I should’ve offered to help, but she was still one of McVeigh’s employees. I couldn’t be sure whose side she was actually on.
“Emile, come look. It’s beautiful over here!” Colton yelled from the rocks, one hand shielding the sun from his eyes and the other motioning for me to join him.
I took one last look over at Tina, who was driving off in a sky blue sedan, and ran over to Colton.
Placing one foot carefully in front of the other, I slowly made my way up the rocks to where he was standing. I was a mess, but I couldn’t let Colton know that, not now when he appeared to be happy. As I stood beside him, he reached out to take my hand in his.
The sun’s rays reflected beautifully upon the water, creating a magnificent glistening effect over the waves. The pier to the left was docking ships, while on the right, a ferry took off into the open waters. It was a beautiful sight to watch; how small everything looked in something as big as the ocean. It reminded me of people, how we were just a small part of what made up the world. Our numbers might be large, but we were not alone in this world. We were insignificant to nature.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking of how breathtaking nature can be,” I answered as honestly as I could.
“But that’s not all,” he replied, indicating he knew that something was wrong.
“Actually, that is all. I’ve been living inside a Pod for the past few months. I’ve missed this – the air, the water, the sun. I’ve missed it all.”
He smiled, gripping my hand tighter. I was sure I saw him flinch, although he tried his best to hide it. “What’s wrong, Colton?”
“I’m just trying to figure out life.” He released my hand and took a seat on the rock he was standing on. “Learning to start over isn’t easy. I almost feel as though I’m broken and I’m not sure how to fix that, you know?”
“I understand.” I understood more than he could know. “I think in order to fix someone who is broken they need to be given a fresh start – a clean slate. And you have that now, we both do. As for the starting over, we’ll figure that out together.”
Colton threw his arms around me and laughed. “I never thought I’d find something in common with a Program.” I chuckled in response. I appreciated that he used the word Program, as opposed to human, because I wasn’t human. There was no reason to lie about what I was.
“Should we go back in?”
“Yeah, I’m probably going to be due for standby mode soon anyway.” I could feel the power draining slowly from my body. It’d only be a matter of time before I started to zone out again.
“Hey, did Hayden happen to say anything to you about the zoning out thing?” I didn’t see any mention of it on his instructions for Colton, but I figured he would’ve at least said something, knowing Hayden.
“Yes.” Colton placed his hands in his pockets, keeping his head down and his eyes on the ground under him. “He said that the zoning out is because you’re not used to being outside of the Pod for extended periods of time, although some of the zones were from Thirteen. Those should be gone now, though.”
I was glad to know that Thirteen’s memories would be gone, but I was a bit bothered to learn mine wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. Watching my family fall from my grasp, watching my body lay lifeless in a dark alley, the pain I went through upon arriving at Vesta Corp – those memories would continue to haunt me and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
McVeigh was winning already, and he didn’t even know it.
“Hey, quick question.” His voice was filled with curiosity. I was sure that I knew what he was going to ask, and I hoped t
hat he wouldn’t. “Who were you talking to before? I heard you and someone else, but I didn’t recognize the voice.”
“Oh, that.” I hated lying to him, but I didn’t dare tell him the truth. He couldn’t know that his father was sent here to capture me. If he knew that he’d fall apart again. I couldn’t allow that. “It was just a lost driver. She needed directions back into the city. Her GPS couldn’t locate satellites out here or something.”
Colton smiled, kicking the rocks as we walked back to the house.
The house was clear, which I was grateful for, it meant that Howard only followed us into the woods. He never went inside the house. Rain started to fall, sliding off my skin as soon as it landed.
“I think we need to get you inside.” Colton laughed, pushing me towards the house.
The water didn’t do much damage, thankfully, as the only exposed part of my Program was my hard drive slot and even that was covered thanks to my shirt. “Maybe next time we should check the weather forecast?” he joked. “After all, this is Washington. It is known to rain a lot here.”
I smiled as I kicked off my shoes and headed off towards my room to change out of my wet clothes. I lifted the bag of items Hayden gave to me onto the bed and went through them all. There were tons of pants and t-shirts, clothes that would cover me completely.
“Thank you, Hayden,” I whispered, trying to hold back my laughter. I was glad to know he didn’t fill the bag with dresses and shorts. With the rain, I needed to keep covered.
I grabbed a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt and slid into them before making my way back to the living room, where Colton was sitting on the couch in his wet clothes still. “Aren’t you planning on changing? You could get sick you know?”
He chuckled. “I just wanted to tell you thanks. I know I’ve already told you that a few times, but I needed to tell it to you again. You’ve helped me a lot. I forgot what it was like to be happy.” Colton looked up at me, smiling as he got up from the couch.
“I think I’m going to head to bed. I’m pretty exhausted. Can you promise you’ll head to the Pod soon or do I need to stay up and make sure of it myself?”
“I promise. I’ll go in a few minutes. You need your sleep. Go rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Colton looked at me one last time before heading to his room and plopping on his bed, snores flowing from the room only seconds later. The poor boy was exhausted. He’d been keeping an eye on me – worried that I might zone out at any given second. I didn’t want him to have to constantly worry about me. I knew he had promised Hayden he’d keep an eye on me, but taking care of me shouldn’t be more important than taking care of himself.
I knew he’d be asleep for a while, so I decided to bolt down the house, just in case we were to receive any surprise visitors. I wasn’t sure if Tina would actually bring Howard back to Vesta Corp and tell them what happened. She cared about Thirteen, but that didn’t mean she cared about me.
Hayden made sure to install security features if we were to ever need them. I tried to avoid using them, as I didn’t want to scare Colton, but I didn’t have a choice now. I ran to the laptop to activate the cameras outside, setting them up on a monitor above the Pod so that I’d be able to keep an eye on things. Once that was in order, I made sure to bolt the windows and the door shut. I’d left a note for Colton on the table, just in case he woke up while I was still in the Pod and I wasn’t able to speak.
Colton,
I’ll explain once I’m freed from the Pod. Don’t be worried.
-Emile
Once I was sure that we’d be safe for the night, I entered the Pod, the door latching closed behind me, and prepared myself for the horror awaiting me in my mind.
21 ISLE OF HIM
I was expecting to see my mother or McVeigh, but instead it was Tommy Miller waiting for me. He was my first and only boyfriend before I died. We were together for six months, and I truly cared about him. It could have been love, but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t get the chance to fully understand what love was in my short life.
His tousled blonde hair glistened under the sun, his mesmerizing green eyes searched for me in the darkness. “Emile!" he called out my name, his hand extended for me to grab. He pulled me into his arms, wrapping them gently around my waist. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest each time he touched me. It was captivating. His smell, his smile, his beating heart, his voice – every piece of him drew me in.
“Where were you?” he asked, brushing my hair behind my ear. “I’ve been waiting here for you. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.” His hand cupped my cheek, and I could feel myself blush.
“Sorry,” I whispered, unable to say anything else.
It wasn’t real, but it felt like he was there with me.
It felt right.
“Come here,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss my cheek. “I brought you something.” Tommy reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a box. “Here, open it!”
I took the box from his hands, my heart racing from excitement. I gently removed the white ribbon surrounding the silver box and opened it. Inside was a white gold bracelet, a heart dangling from it. “It’s absolutely beautiful.” I leapt into his arms, not wanting to let go. “Thank you so much, Tommy.”
And before I knew it, he was gone.
I hadn’t spoken of Tommy after my death. In fact, I tried my best to act as though I never knew him because it hurt less than knowing I’d lost out on time with him. I knew that I’d never be able to experience what I felt for him again, at least not in this life. I was incapable of feeling that way towards anyone in this body.
As I lay there in the Pod, I thought over everything Tommy and I had planned together. We were going to move in together after we graduated high school. We were going to start a life together. But that life never came, because mine was taken away from me before ours could even begin.
Everything was taken away from us in that instant.
I was supposed to call him the night I was killed to let him know I’d made it home safely, but I never did. He never knew what happened to me. Nobody outside of my family did.
Those six months, although short, I would forever cherish. Even if Tommy forgot about me, I’d still hold dear the times we had together. It was all I had left of him.
I wondered if Colton had ever experienced what it felt like to be in love, or if he’d ever met that special girl he pictured himself spending his life with. He never spoke about anyone outside of his family, so I couldn’t be sure.
“Emile.” I heard a young boy screaming. I tried running towards the voice, but no matter what I did, it kept slipping farther until it eventually disappeared. Then he appeared before me covered in blood, his blonde hair caked in mud, his skin scabbed and bruised. “Emile, help me, please,” he cried, reaching for me.
I wanted to grab onto him, to pull him back from whatever danger he was in, but I couldn’t. It was a trap, he wasn’t actually here, and I knew that even if I didn’t want to believe it.
There was a banging on the Pod window. Colton had woken up. He must have noticed I was zoning out again, because his eyes were full of worry. “Emile,” he said, tapping on the glass now that my eyes were open. “You need to hear this.”
Colton pointed at the television, using the remote to adjust the volume.
They were reporting another death, one much like my own, but this time it was a boy - Tommy Miller, 18. They weren’t going to stop until they took everything away from me, were they?
I wanted to cry, to let the pain find its way out of my body, but I was incapable of crying, incapable of exhibiting heartbreak. They were slipping from my grasp, every single person that I cared about. They were all in danger because of me.
I continued listening to the news broadcast.
“Tommy’s girlfriend, Emile Reed, was killed just yesterday in another automobile accident. As of right now, police are stating both were accidents, and that they will n
ot be holding any further investigations.”
So it was the Seattle Police Department working with McVeigh and his men, then? I should have figured as much. How else would they be able to cover up so many deaths? How else would they be able to avoid investigations for the missing people?
But why would they go after Tommy? I hadn’t tried contacting him since I was brought to Vesta Corp. I purposely made it a point to avoid looking for him when Hayden brought me back. What were they trying to prove by killing him?
That they could destroy me?
I was already aware of that, because they already had.
My life was taken from me, not once, but twice. I was living in hell, unable to see my family, unable to go home, because if I did it would put everyone around me in danger. They were already winning this battle.
Colton shot a glance at me as he realized that Tommy was a part of my human life. He looked confused. I imagined it was because I never told him about Tommy, but I couldn’t. I was trying to protect him, much like I was Colton. Could I even protect Colton if they managed to find Tommy?
He walked over to the PC and brought me out of standby mode and then released the latch on the Pod door. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?” he asked me, his eyes filling with tears.
I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t like seeing him upset.
Grabbing onto the Pod door, I lifted myself to my feet and stared at the television screen which was showing Tommy’s body being carried away.
“I’m so sorry, Tommy,” I whispered.
This was entirely my fault. People were dying because of me. If Hayden hadn’t brought me back, everyone would have been able to live their lives normally, no one would be in danger. But it was too late for that now. I was here, and I had McVeigh’s prized possession, Thirteen, and he’d get her back; he’d make sure of it.
Colton came from behind me and wrapped his arm over my shoulder. “This isn’t your fault, Emile. Clearly they have no respect for the living. Even if you hadn’t come back, I don’t think that would have stopped those monsters from killing innocent people to use as their Program hosts.”